NATURAL HISTORY OF THE OX. 21 



where man himself has lived. In the 19th and 20th verses of 

 the 4th chapter of the Book of Genesis we read : — " And Lamech 

 took unto him two wives : the name of the one was Adah, and 

 the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal : he was 

 the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle." 

 Further, in the 16th verse of the 12th chapter, we find written : 

 — "And he entreated Abram well for her sake. And he had 

 sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid- 

 servants, and she-asses, and camels." This happened in relation 

 to Sarai, Abram's wife, whom he endeavoured to pass off as his 

 sister, a deception which was found out after the Lord caused 

 plagues in Pharoah's house. This occurrence took place about 

 130 years before any mention is made concerning the horse. 



For some of the observations which now immediately follow, 

 we are indebted to the valuable work entitled Bible Anitnalsy 

 written by the Rev. J. G. Wood, that well-known and deservedly 

 popular author. From him we learn that there are two distinct 

 kinds of cattle found in Palestine — namely, the ordinary 

 domesticated ox, and the Indian buffalo, which lives in the low- 

 lying and marshy valley of the Jordan. As for the domesti- 

 cated cattle they are very much like our own, although, of 

 course, as is only to be expected, we do not meet with that 

 diversity of breed with which we are familiar in the British 

 Islands, nor is there even that distinction betwixt long-horned 

 ^and short-horned oxen, which in this country is so well known. 

 As is the case in most parts of the world where civilization has 

 made any progress, so also in Palestine, domesticated cattle 

 were, and still are, numerous, although it is very evident that, 

 in the prosperous days of Judsea, there were far greater 

 numbers of them than there are now, and, moreover, that they 

 were treated in a much better way. 



A constant supply of them was needed for the sacrifices, 

 certain cattle being appointed to be slain for this purpose. The 

 ox was in those days largely fed and fattened for the table, while 

 at the present time the flesh of cattle is scarcely used at all 

 for food, that of the sheep or goat being always used, even when 

 a man gives a feast to his friends. 



Calves, and especially bull-calves, were much used for food in 

 Palestine, and in the households of the wealthy they were fattened 

 for the table. Still, even in ths times of Israel's prosperity, the 



